The online digital and e-commerce world is forever growing each year, and with that in mind the space is more competitive than ever before with recent esimations showing us that there are thousands of websites launched every single day around the world.
With things booming to this extent the internet has become a competitive playground for businesses and individuals, with a countless number of parameters on which your business or personal website is constantly being judged on.
…But what if I told you there was a simple condition that could be put in place on your website which would diminish a majority of the competitors judgements, on a cybersecurity level?
The privacy, trust and bullet-proof safeguarding of the customers sensitive data is becoming increasingly important to customers and with cybercrime on the rise, awareness on how to keep safe online has followed; and quite rightly so!
From talking to everyday people who shop and pay for services online with their sensitive payment details, it came of no surprise that each individual noted that they need to feel comfortable on the website(s) with one of the key points being the padlock / HTTPS connection, which is essentially the SSL certificate.
What Is An SSL certificate?
Every online business website that handles sensitive or financial data like online payment transactions, form submissions and customer login sessions must have an SSL certificate in place.
An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate ensures secure data transmission over the internet meaning that all customer data that is submitted on your website is encrypted automatically on-the-fly before being trasmitted over the internet. If the web address bar has a padlock icon along with “HTTPS” instead of “HTTP” then it let’s us know an SSL certificate is being used.
Securing your website and ensuring it’s bullet-proof is extremely important for protecting your customers personal information, such as payment card numbers, email addresses, home/work addresses and other contact information from cyber threats. When an SSL certificate is implemented, all data that is transmitted between the customer’s computer/device and your business website is SSL encrypted and therefore can’t be read by anyone else:- including cybercriminals and attackers.
Why Does Your Website Need an SSL Certificate?
When you setup an online business or other website which involves submission of sensitive data, it’s vital to ensure all bases are covered to ensure customer safety is guaranteed. With this said, it is so important that your website has an SSL certificate… you will no doubt be losing a lot of interest and customers without one.
Key reasons why your website needs an SSL certificate:
1. Ensures the safety of your customers sensitive information
SSL is a data encryption protocol used for the purpose of online security. They provide an encrypted communication between the customer and your website which makes it impossible for anyone else to read it, thus giving the customer peace of mind that their sensitive details are being transmitted over the internet privately and securely.
2. To protect your brand reputation
3. To ensure regulatory compliance
4. To boost your SEO ranking
